Priorities

The College of Social Work, through its research, curriculum, and programs, is continually growing in order to respond to expanding local, national, and international communities. While this growth produces many needs, our most current funding priorities are listed below. If you have questions about any of these areas, or are interested in giving to a different area of the College, please call Development Director Lisa Himonas (Lisa.Himonas@socwk.utah.edu) at (801) 587-8387.

Building Expansion and Renovation
Although the new Wilford W. and Dorothy P. Goodwill Humanitarian Building has been completed, we still have naming opportunities available in both the new building and our original Social Work Building. Naming a classroom, an office, or a meeting room is a wonderful way to leave a lasting legacy.

Scholarships
Social work students carry heavy class loads, complete hundreds of hours of practicum (internship) training, and often work full-time jobs. Scholarships can significantly offset the costs of earning a degree and may be the difference between finishing a program or not. We always welcome new scholarships, as well as additional support for many already existing scholarships.

Endowments
Each year, a small percentage of interest is pulled from endowments and used to run programs. Two of our endowments - the Belle S. Spafford Endowed Chair and the Katie L. Dixon Women & Girls Leadership Endowed Fund - need your help so that the programs supported by these endowments can continue to grow.

Unrestricted Gifts
An unrestricted gift to the social work development fund allows the College to direct resources to areas most in need. Unrestricted gifts are used for a variety of purposes such as recruiting new faculty, developing supplementary programs, or supporting student-initiated service projects.

Special Programs
Many of the programs within the College of Social Work benefit from the generosity of donors like you. Private donations fund speakers with the Utah Criminal Justice Center, language and service trips through the International Social Work program, agency evaluations by the Social Research Institute, and much more.